1novels Chapter 88 Filming Wrap-up and Forced Business
Chapter 88 Filming Wrap-up and Forced Business
"It's hardly torture, Ms. Streep." Lin Ruiyang leaned back comfortably in the leather seat of the van.
"On the contrary, in order for the two of you to enjoy the French cuisine in Paris as soon as possible, I plan to end this battle as quickly as possible. After all, once tomorrow's scenes are finished, the crew will be completely wrapped up."
Upon hearing the words "filming wrapped," Anne Hathaway, sitting to the side, let out a long sigh of relief, her large eyes instantly filling with anticipation.
For the crew of "The Devil Wears Prada," the short break throughout September gave everyone a boost of energy, and this small part of the final scenes in Paris was the last kilometer of this cross-border marathon.
"Thank God." Annie slumped back and patted her chest dramatically.
"Right now, all I can think about is croissants, red wine, and not having to get up at four in the morning to do my makeup."
A burst of laughter immediately filled the carriage.
Meryl slowly raised her eyelids: "Young man, you're getting ahead of yourself. Usually, the last day of filming is when the director is most likely to go crazy."
"Don't worry," Lin Ruiyang said with a smile.
"Today I'll try my best to be a decent human being."
"Should I thank you in advance?" Meryl raised an eyebrow.
"You can thank me after we finish work."
As Lin Ruiyang flipped through the storyboard, he said to the assistant director beside him, "Let's double-check the process."
"First, we'll shoot the dialogue scenes inside the car, then the exterior shots at Place de la Concorde, and finally the entrance scene in the hotel lobby. We'll try to get it all in one take today; if anyone messes up, tonight's French dinner will be canceled."
"Director, you're threatening the actors," Anne immediately protested.
"No." Lin Ruiyang didn't even look up.
"This is a reasonable incentive."
A janitor's voice quickly rang out from outside the carriage: "Get ready in five minutes!"
Just then, sunlight streamed in through the car window. Lin Ruiyang looked up at the sky; he was having good luck today.
The cloud cover was thinner than expected, and the light conditions were very stable, which meant that many shots could be taken directly with natural light.
"Alright, all departments, get ready."
He closed the storyboard, instantly switching from a relaxed state to a working state.
"Let's try to finish work before 6 p.m. today."
......
Half an hour later, the area around Place de la Concorde had been temporarily cleared.
The camera track was laid out on the side of the fountain, and the lighting crew was making final adjustments to the reflections.
Lin Ruiyang stood behind the monitor, looking down to confirm the parameters for the last shot.
"Slow down the approach speed of Unit 1."
"Don't be too GG-like."
"The camera should be like someone secretly observing her."
The director of photography gave an OK sign.
"clear."
Meryl has now fully entered Miranda's mode.
Wearing a long black trench coat, a dark gray turtleneck, and high heels, she stood on the streets of Paris, looking as if she had stepped right out of a Vogue cover.
Even passersby in Paris who were watching from the roadside couldn't help but glance at it frequently.
As filming continued and locations changed, at 5 p.m., the setting sun bathed the hotel's revolving doors in gold dust.
Surrounded by a barrage of cameras, Meryl strode in with her usual haughty gait, her figure eventually disappearing into the light emanating from the rotating glass.
Lin Ruiyang stared at the last rays of sunlight on the screen, stood up from behind the monitor, raised his right hand, and swung it down sharply: "Cut! Perfect! I declare—'The Devil Wears Prada' is officially wrapped!"
The assistant director relayed the message to wrap up filming across the set via walkie-talkie.
Anne Hathaway was the first to jump out of the van, raise her hands, and shout "Liberté!" at the sky above Place de la Concorde.
Meryl stood beside the van, having changed back into her casual clothes. She carefully folded the Suzhou embroidery shawl and draped it over her forearm.
"Great filming, I hope we'll have the opportunity to work together again next time."
"Thank you, Meryl."
The Parisian night scene, however, presents a completely different atmosphere.
The celebratory restaurant booked by the film crew is located on the left bank of the Seine, in a private clubhouse converted from an old French building.
Under the enormous crystal chandelier, the clinking of champagne glasses echoed continuously. After months of intense filming, the entire crew finally relaxed completely.
Anne has lost count of how many times she's run up to people with her wine glass, asking for photos.
"Director! Hurry up! This is the last night of filming, you can't keep hiding there chatting with the camera crew!"
Lin Ruiyang had just finished discussing post-production color grading with the staff when she dragged him over.
Come on, smile.
Click—the flash went off.
In the photo, Annie is smiling brightly, while Lin Ruiyang looks helplessly like he's being forced to work.
That evening, the entertainment sections of major media outlets almost simultaneously featured the news that "The Devil Wears Prada" had wrapped up filming.
The group of crew members nearby burst into laughter.
"Are all Chinese directors like this?" Annie couldn't help but complain.
"He acts like a tyrant while filming, but starts acting aloof and cold after filming is over."
"Is there any possibility?" Lin Ruiyang asked without changing his expression.
"It's because you've already taken more than twenty photos of me tonight."
"That means you look good on camera."
"Thank you, but I refuse to continue operating."
That evening, the French media beat them to it. Le Figaro's entertainment section used a profile picture of Meryl Streep in Place de la Concorde as its accompanying image, proudly stating in the article:
"Ryan Lam chose Paris as the finale of this fashion blockbuster, and it turns out that no city is more suitable to give the film a true fashion soul than Paris."
Le Monde: "Filming for The Devil Wears Prada has wrapped in Paris, with PPR Group brands deeply integrated throughout the film, marking a new phase in the marriage between luxury capital and the film industry."
British and American media followed suit.
Variety: "Ryan Lam completes filming of 'The Devil Wears Prada': The first Hollywood project for a 20-year-old Chinese director has officially wrapped."
Empire: "Perfect wrap! Meryl and Anne finish filming in Paris, and the crew officially disbands."
The dead of night in Paris is the dawn in Beijing, China, across the ocean.
When the late-night editors at Sina Entertainment, Sohu Entertainment, and NetEase Entertainment received the wrap-up press releases from major media outlets, translated from overseas, the entire editorial department went into a frenzy.
Soon after, Sina Entertainment's homepage refreshed with the headline: "Twenty-year-old Chinese director Lin Ruiyang completes filming of Hollywood blockbuster 'The Devil Wears Prada,' officially wraps up filming in Paris!"
The comment sections of the three major portals were flooded with thousands of comments in just half an hour. Some people used VPNs to repost foreign media reports, while others started betting on the film's global box office.
The next day, the Parisian night outside the window was fading, and a very faint gray-blue hue appeared on the horizon.
Lin Ruiyang's flight to Los Angeles was at 2 p.m., and when he woke up it was almost noon. To avoid being late, he decided to grab something to eat at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
On the way to Charles de Gaulle Airport, my phone vibrated; it was Roger Sutherland.
"Lin, Searchlight is pressing for the filming schedule. Pete asked if you could land and have a conference call first."
Roger spoke very quickly, and in the background you could hear the coffee machine running and the buzzing voices typical of CAA offices.
"Let him wait a day." Lin Ruiyang switched his seatbelt to the other shoulder. "I'll check McCardell's editing schedule first."
"Tom McCardell?" Roger paused for a moment, his tone becoming subtle.
"The one at Fox who's in charge of post-production editing? He's got quite a temper. I heard last year a producer brought coffee into his editing room and got kicked out."
"so?"
"So you'll be sharing a room with him for two months. Let me light a candle for you."